Eureka man charged with attempted enticement

PEORIA — A Eureka man faces up to 40 years in prison for allegedly trying to arrange a sexual encounter with what he thought was a 15-year-old girl last month.

Eric D. Wagner, 51, was ordered held in custody of the U.S. marshals on Monday pending a review of his case by a federal grand jury, likely later this month. He first appeared last week in U.S. District Court in Peoria on the single count of enticement.

According to federal court records, a police officer had put a phony ad on Craigslist that purported to be an 18-year-old girl who was home alone and looking for fun. When Wagner allegedly contacted her, the “girl” then told him she was 15 and asked if he wanted to continue. Wagner said yes and, over a series of emails, text messages and phone calls, apparently believed that he was in the process of setting a date with the girl to meet at a Bellevue gas station.